Your Complete Puppy Biting/Nipping Guide, by McCann Dog Training on YouTube. 27 min 6 s.
- Video length
- 27 min 6 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes a day for several w
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Start with collar grabs before correcting biting. Put a flat collar on your puppy and gently hold it for a second while feeding a treat. Repeat until your puppy stays relaxed when you reach for the collar.
Practise collar grabs in short sessions around the house and garden. Add small distractions so your puppy learns that a hand near the collar means good things, not a game.
When your puppy nips, correct at the exact moment teeth touch skin. Say a short marker like "too bad" and pause the fun for a few seconds. Timing matters more than the words you use.
Keep corrections calm and brief. Do not shout, hit or grab the muzzle. A quick pause and a reset teaches far more than a long telling off.
If your puppy keeps biting during hand play, stop the game and stand still. Fold your arms and look away until the biting stops, then calmly restart.
Teach a hand-play game with rules. Move your hands slowly near your puppy and reward licking or backing off with a treat. End the game the moment teeth appear.
Swap hand play for tug when your puppy gets excited. Offer a tug toy and let your puppy pull, then ask for a drop and reward it.
Use tug as a daily energy outlet. Two or three short tug sessions a day give your puppy a legal way to use its mouth and reduce nipping at hands.
For larger or stronger puppies, apply the same steps with more space and shorter sessions. Keep the collar grab and correction work going as your puppy grows.
Be strict and consistent from the first week. Everyone in the house should react the same way to biting so your puppy learns the rule fast.
Tips and common mistakes
Never use your hands as a toy, even during rough play, or your puppy learns skin is fair game.
Correct the nip the instant it happens, not seconds later, or your puppy will not connect the correction to the bite.
Puppies bite more when tired or overexcited, so build in naps and calm time.
Keep tug sessions short and always end with a drop and a treat so the game stays under your control.
Questions
At what age should I start stopping puppy biting?
Start as soon as your puppy comes home, usually around eight weeks. Early, consistent responses work better than waiting until the behaviour is a habit.
Should I yelp when my puppy bites?
A high yelp can work for some puppies but often winds them up more. A calm pause and a short marker word are more reliable for most puppies.
Does tug make puppies bite more?
No, tug gives your puppy a proper outlet for mouthing energy. The key is to teach a drop cue and keep hands out of the game.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
